Bagi, the mighty monster of nature
by Zinico
Summary: Homeless... with little family you can't go back to. I know how you felt... those 9 years. But, I promise you... I won't let you go again. The differance between life... and death... could be as simple as your attention. I'm glad you noticed me... or I may as well have ended up dead. Don't let go! Please! Just... Bagi!
1. Chapter 1

Bagi, monster of mighty nature. Revived and revised!

Chapter one, a life and death situation.

Smoke was rising from the large research center, and Ryo knew he didn't have much time. There was burning gasoline in the garage, set of by stray gun fire. He couldn't leave. Not yet. Though personal survival was one matter, the life of his mother and friend was just more important. He was standing on the roof of the east wing. Having just defeated the right hand man of the south Americans president in a motorcycle battle, and he was mentally exhausted., and found it hard to look around. He gazed over at the main entrance of the lab. He wouldn't make it if he went in that way. The men that worked for the president guy would surly recognize him, and that would be the end of his luck. Suddenly, the door busted open and a lithe, pink shape darted out. He recognized it immediately. Bagi. " Hay, Bagi," He called out to her "Did you find my mother!?" But she ignored him, and ran out across the driveway that led from the lab towards the jungle. He noticed a small green pendant around her neck.

Bagi was carrying a bagged ball of some genetically enhanced rice his mother had taken part of creating. He could tell because each grain was huge. His curiosity was provoked, and Ryo hopped on to the motorcycle again and revved it. He aimed his new bike towards the edge of the building, and jammed the throttle. He careened of the ledge of the roof, angling the cycle downward, front wheel first.. At the last second, before he hit the ground, he leaned back, using the front tire as a pivot point to loosen the shock of the fall. It was a move he was forced to practice when he was a go-getter, in case he had some goods and was under hot pursuit. But, he had yet to perfect the trick, and was almost launched off the bike, loosing control only for a second. He tightened his grip on the steering and speed up after Bagi, not noticing his mother, beaten and bitten to death, roll down the steps to the lab…

Bagi had dived into the woods, as fast as ever, and was running unwaveringly toward the mountains to the north, speeding through each tree as though she had the path memorized. He could barely keep up with her, even though he had a flat road to travel on. Only that fact that she was blocked by trees and he was unhindered allowed him to keep up. He was already at about double over what he was use to driving at. A huge explosion sounded behind him, reminding him of his mother. He was scared for her safety. Then he remembered that Bagi had agreed to rescue her. She probably had made it out of the building, or was carried off by those South American govern people. Either way, Ryo knew he would need Bagi's help to find his mother. He had never known Bagi to fail her tasks in the week he had known her, even if he was unconscious for three days of it.

He saw his chance to intercept Bagi as the road turned over her path. He speed up further reaching the max speed of the bike, which wasn't to much faster than he was going. He wasn't surprised that it wasn't much faster than Bagi. His first impression of her return was her slipping past him to stop him when he was driving away in fear. He started into the turn, hoping to run Bagi side by side with him so he could talk to her, even if she couldn't respond. He looked for Bagi quickly, trying to time it right. To his shock, Bagi was air born and headed straight toward him. She rammed right into him and they cleared the road. They crashed into the jungle on the opposite side of the road, and Ryo thought he broke something. He bounced up and rolled sideways into a tree, hitting his shoulder with force. He landed hard on the ground., then his breath was driven from him as Bagi landed on top of him.

Bagi pushed herself off of Ryo and stood. She had a trace of a snarl in her throat. It ceased when she recognized Ryo. She backed off and stood facing him, contemplating what she should do next. "Bagi…" Ryo felt like he would never breath again. "What happened?" Bagi thought of running off. Natural animal instinct. She held some of her intellect, though, and shook off the urge. She didn't know if what she was dosed with was still working. She could still understand him and think properly to a point, though fighting instincts and natural reactions was several times more difficult. She hoped and reasoned that the effects of the drug were slowing and stopping. Otherwise, she thought, she would have already torn apart Ryo. She was sick with the thought.

In her stupor of thought, Ryo remembered the pendant that he had seen Bagi wearing. It was still hung loosely around her neck, dimly sparkling in the shade of the trees. Ryo gently removed it, not waking Bagi from her thoughts. The movement agitated his hits, and he clenched his teeth around his yelp of pain. He still shaken from being rammed into a tree then landed on, Bagi blinked, then noticed Ryo had the pendant. . "How did you get this, Bagi?" At closer inspection, he recognized it as his mothers favorite jewelry. Not for fashion, but practicality. It could pop open to hide al sorts of things. Bagi shook her head. She hadn't even remembered that she had the pendant, or why. Ryo understood. When he had last saw her, she had been completely unable to speak. She still seemed rationale, as she wasn't sharpening her claws on him. He still cursed his mother for injecting Bagi. The effects of the drug completely turned of the conscience, and when they came to, they would loose all memory. Like amnesia, but it took everything with it. There was a counter drug. Under development. So far, nothing had been found. Bagi was stronger that the average human, or anything for that matter.

Ryo opened the locket, expecting a family photo or one of her husband. Bagi sat down, staring at him expectantly and catching her breath. Inside, there was a small scrap of paper, rather than the expected photo. Ryo unfolded it. It was a note. A message. Ryo read it aloud;

_I am having bagi escape with a rice ball. I have instructed bagi to bury the rice ball in a mountain, hiding it. Her intelligence has all but vanished, but she most likely understood my request. Should he know I betrayed him, the president will no doubt have me killed by attack dogs. Bagi will return to the wild. Probably, she will end her life in the mountains. Life forms like bagi and the rice ball should nom be made by humans. I have been a bad scientist, and a bad mother. Ryosuke, I'm sorry. Take care. Mom_

_So the president wouldn't have her. Ryo felt as though he had lost everything. He then remembered that there could still be hope for her yet. There would be several precautions at a lab to help prevent staff death. It was highly likely that his mom go a hold on something, and managed to save herself._

_Ryo looked at Bagi. She was looking down, and her eyes looked moist. Understanding, Ryo scooted closer to her, and hugged her around her neck. "… If my mom said you should never be made by humans, then you aren't. I won't believe that you never should have been." Something wet fell on the back of his neck, and Bagi gently licked it off. _

_Remembering the rest of the note, Ryo released Bagi. "We had better get rid of that rice ball…" She didn't have it. It probably got lost in the impact. "Where did it!" They searched the surrounding area. Ryo was afraid it might have broken in the shuffle, or was thrown into a river and swept away. Though he would rather leave without it, the president would probably have men and dogs out on it, making it near impossible to hope it would be lost forever._

_But he found it. It was among the base of the tree that he hit, hidden under the tangle of roots. The container was cracked in the section facing him, and Ryo only hoped that was the extent of the damage. "Bagi," He called to his friend, "I found it." She was pulling herself through the thick plant life, sniffing tentatively at the ground. She looked at him from behind a tree, and he pointed down at the rice ball. She started to pull herself out, and Ryo turned back to the ball. _

_He bent over, supporting himself on his legs, and reached down to pick up the case of rice. Pain ripped through his torn body. Only now did he stop to think about what damage could have been done to him. He crashed into a tree, and, judging by what he felt, he might have broke some bones, torn some ligaments, and probably had some internal bleeding. His ears started ringing, and he could have sworn he herd something pop. _

_Something happened in his back the same instant, and he fell over, his head just a centimeter from the rice ball. He grit his teeth in pain, then opened his eyes, from the corner, he could see Bagi standing above him. She moved so fast he almost didn't see her. She yanked him by his shirt by her teeth, as he could feel them along his back, and she yanked him over her shoulder, and onto her back. More pain flooded through him as he landed, but he only gave an "oomph…" She bend down once more and grabbed the rice ball, as Ryo could only guess from the movements, then ran. The ringing in his ears zoned out, and he heard gun fire. He…_

_What had happened? _

"… _up the rice ball!" said a man on the loud speaker, right as the ringing in Ryo's ears subsided . The phrase came from somewhere up above, and Ryo could here helicopter blades beating against the air. Ryo thought it was kind of funny. Some guy was talking into a loud speaker, from a helicopter, about a boy and his pet-friend's ball of rice. "Ba…!" He managed._

_He cut himself short. He knew that not only could he not get Bagi to listen, but, with the incredible speed she had, you needed all your strength to hold on. Even talking could weaken you to the point of falling of. Besides, in considering what he had been through, he didn't have much strength left in him. _

_Bagi zipped through the tree's like a nightmare running loose. Things were coming at Ryo fast. He couldn't react to what was happening. Bagi wasn't making the ride any easier. She was jumping all over, trying to confuse the men in the Helicopter. Nothing was out of the question. She would jump up and around rocks, large or small, on limbs of tree's, even the sides of trees. Ryo gritted his teeth and held tight. Even with his back ground, he wasn't remotely use to this kind of G-force on his body. He would rather be on a fast roller coaster, because, for one, survival rates on coasters were much higher than this, and also, that would mean he would probably be in an amusement park, and, above all, it would be steadier._

_Another shot rang, but it missed entirely. The sound, through, kicked Ryo's already pounding heart into over-gear, and he started shaking uncontrollably. He felt colder suddenly, and could feel his stomach lurching as if to throw itself out. Ryo's head started to spin. _

_Miraculously, he wasn't aggravated any further, because the split second his insides were about to become outsides, bagi landed off from a rock and down under the cover of a big tree. She had found a large open spot amongst the knaraled roots. She threw Ryo into the spot as gently as someone could throw another, shoved him near the back of the cover, and then climbed in after him. She shoved some of the compact dirt into the entrance, then curled up by the newly made mound. Even with her pink coat, it would be hard to spot anyone here…_

_Authors note. This is based on a 1984 anime movie about an anthromorphic something. Check it out on youtube. "Bagi the monster of mighty nature". Best out there is posted by darksonic3. Please support the official movie. _

_I personally love this movie. And before anyone upon anyone asks, no. I don't like it because I am a lemon, or a yiff lover, [though I wont deny I am a furry lover] or anything of the sort. I detest sexication in all its forms. I say this because this movie is or can be interpreted as "suggestive." Let it be known that you have been warned. _


	2. Chapter 2, The fight for you life

Chapter two, tightening the noose.

Ryosuke had ridden Bagi across the valley, around the towns, and reached the end of the road near the base of the mountain on the opposite side, the whole time Ryo wondered if he would come flying off. Somehow, he managed, only able to catch glimpses as they traveled. He was amazed at Bagi's running stamina. He had started to wonder what he was going to do after he filled his mothers last request. He could go back to Japan. But that would require money, which he didn't had, plus the president of all people was after Bagi. He could go live in the wild with Bagi, but between him and himself, he knew he wouldn't adapt well. He decided to consult Bagi about it. Later, when they had hidden the rice ball and Ryo could feel his arms again.

They were half way up a mountain when Bagi finally slowed. She was panting heavily, and, with his ear pressed to her back, he could hear her heart beating madly. She slowed to a walk. Ryo, feeling safer now that Bagi was back to human speeds, let his grip slacken. He instantly lost his balance, and fell onto the ground. His arms felt hot and sweaty, and he was sure he tore everything in them. His heart was racing like a car. He turned to his head to find Bagi.

Her body was heaving with every breath, but she didn't stop to rest. She feverishly searched around for something. Ryo could see her effort to breath without letting go of the rice ball. "Bagi… leave the ball… with me…" Ryo said, each word stifled with a slight bubbling. She had placed her paw on the ground, and had been focusing on it. She looked back at him. Through his fatigue, he could see the confusing on her face, along with a trace of hostility. She stared at him… then her look faded. She nodded, then walked over to him. She placed the ball in the center of his chest, then turned back to her task. As soon as she put it down, she opened her mouth to let air back into her body. Ryo winced in pain, but didn't say anything.

Bagi went back to the spot that she had been focusing on. She pressed down on the ground again. Ryo had no idea what she was doing. Her breathing slowed with time. Ryo watched her from the corner of his eye. Her hand tightened around the dirt under her palm. She flung it aside, and put her other palm in place. She was digging a hole, her speed increasing with every handful. Within seconds, she was under the surface and out of site. More than enough stray dirt hit Ryo, and he was unpleasant with several rocks to his face.

Eventually the digging stopped, and there was a padding sound as Bagi come out of the hole. Ryo stood, picking the rice ball off of his chest. He looked into the hole. He couldn't see the bottom. He looked at the rice ball. It was covered in marks. Finger-prints, cracks, and teeth marks. The marred surface told held a terrible weapon. With the importance put in this ball, Ryo couldn't help but to want to keep it. He could use it to kill others tactfully. No one would be able to trace him. But, with the request of his mother still fresh on his mind, he shrugged away the thought.

Bagi watched him expectantly, and Ryo dropped the ball into the hole. He listened for it to hit the bottom. He counted to 6 in his head before he heard the plastic hit the soft dirt. It had probably broken. Bagi started to throw dirt over the hole. Ryo thought for a moment. The soft dirt would be a give away for anyone looking for the rice. He decided throw in various rocks. It would make it harder to dig for, and in considering dirt settlement, they would need some extra stuff in the hole. He started with smaller rocks first, then, as they got scarce, he moved up to bigger rocks. Rocks he thought would be easy would often prove too difficult. It had taken this long for him to realize how tired he was.

Ryo told Bagi to pile up the dirt in a pile on top of the hole. When she finished, she and Ryo pushed a large bolder on top of the pile. He leaned against it, his head light with the effort. "I think… we should rest. Your tired, aren't you?" Ryo asked. Bagi shook her head, but Ryo could see she was having difficulty standing, even on all four. Bagi was a terrible liar. "Yes, you are.

Look, I know that we should get moving, but if you go down, we're both vulnerable. I can't carry you the same way you carry me. Besides, We don't even know where we're going. First, lets eat and rest. Then, we'll discuss what we should do. You stay here. I will find us something to eat." He left her in the clearing, and made his way into the forest. Only now he wondered what he would find. He was no hunter, and had to tools. He suddenly wondered what kind of idiot he was. Bagi was several times the hunter he was. But, she had been working so hard for so long. He figured she would need the break more than he would. He started looking around for something to eat. Any manor of food would do. Bagi might have been a mountain lion, and thus, a carnivore, but she had human in her too. Surely she would be able to eat a plant like him.

*The next part has been completely censored, because not only am I not a hunter, but I am also squeamish, along with no doubt many readers. In whole, a stray hare meets its end by rock*

"Alright." Ryo said. The sun had set, and the quarter moon shone in the sky. Bagi had started a fire using her claws and a rough stone, and it had been burning since Ryo got back with his catch. "We're enemies of the countries leaders, we have no money, and your easy to recognize. Do you have an idea on what we could do or where we could go?" Ryo directed at Bagi. Ryosuke was leaning against the rock, using his sore arms as a head rest. Though it hurt, in considering the tear in his arm, but it was better than laying on the rock directly. Bagi was a little farther off, lying in cat fashion with her back exposed to the fire, and she was purring like an engine. She looked at Ryo, the fires glow reflected in her eyes. She said nothing, just shrugged.

Ryo was left to the thinking, and he was glad she didn't hint towards living in the forest forever. Ryosuke started thinking of home. With his mom gone… maybe…, life at home would hardly change. She was never around anyway. His father was one of the people who pointed to Bagi as a devil long ago, so having a full grow she-cat/human cross would push him over the edge while lighting him on fire. His gang, the ones who practically raised him the last year, wouldn't be thrilled either. Not only would they fool heartedly try to get revenge again, but, with Bagi as she is now, she would tear them apart, no questions asked. Besides, being out here with Bagi had taught Ryo that the life he had wasn't the life he wanted.

Ryo would never adapt to wild life, he was to much of a human, and would grow board of it quickly. Also, he wanted to fix what his mother had done to Bagi. Ryo knew the drug she had used. It turned of half of the humanistic brain, making even smart people like animals. He was surprised that Bagi resisted the effects so well. In Ryo's mind, anything that could be resisted could be cured. But, he was no doctor scientist. Only one plan stuck out in Ryo's mind. "I think… I think we should go back to the super life research center." Ryo started. "There may be a cure there for what you've been injected with. My mother first developed it there. Also, we need to stop the research there. It's just wrong to be screwing with the natural order of nature. If anything, you were the only good thing to come out of it.

We should also try to pin down a steady life. Though I think we could get my dad use to you, and let you stay with us, we'll need a back up plan if that doesn't work. Also, we need to find a way back to Japan. I know we got here by plane, but we were sky dropped in, so I don't know if there are any air ports anywhere. The best we could do is find a village and get directions… though it might be hard since everyone around here speaks a different language." Ryo had wondered why everyone at the lab spoke Japanese, but figured it wasn't important. "So our other option is to follow a road to a city and find a plane headed back to japan. It shouldn't be to hard." Ryo turned to Bagi, looking for her input. She stared at him with her insightful eyes, and nodded.

"I guess that's the plan…" Ryo couldn't believe how easy that was. Though it was common logic, it still felt like a hard way off. "And Bagi…Remember how I promised to keep you as family but if you cut your claws?" He felt like a new man saying this. "I'm changing the promise." Worry crossed Bagi's face. "I will keep you as family, just so long as you **don't clip your claws. I can't imagine where we'd be if you hadn't kept them, and thinking now, it wouldn't be right to de-claw you." he said. She stared at him, the fire's glow reflected in her eyes. If it weren't for the warmth behind them, Ryo would have though it an omen.**

"**We need to find the cure for the serum my mother gave you." Ryo suddenly remembered. "If there is one… I don't know what she gave you, but we should look into it wherever possible. Did my mom tell you what she doused you with?" he asked hopefully. Bagi's eyes turned away for a second, then back to him as she shook her head. "… I see. Well, maybe when we get back to japan, we can go raid the Super Life Center again and get you fixed. I bet they will be happy to see you." Ryo slid down from the rock. "We should sleep. Goodnight, Bagi." he said. She responded him with a low purr… sound. **

**Ryo hoped it meant what he thought it did…**


	3. Chapter 3, steep decent

Chapter Three. Built from the top down.

Ryo had a rough night sleep. His brain had refused to shut down, and he had spent the night in a half-sleep trance. He'd rather be wide awake all night, but he knew he would need sleep. The fire had been nothing but cold ashes and over-cooked charcoal. Thin clouds graced the sky, and the wooded place around Ryo was already wide awake with bug call and annoying, high pitched birds. Bagi had gathered seed-looking things, that cracked when you bit them. Ryo was wary of them, but trusted Bagi's ability to know poison from food. She didn't eat any, but with her face stained red around the sides, it didn't take much imagination why.

It was a slow journey down the hill, and his heavy head wasn't helping none. The best Ryo knew, there was a settlement somewhere around the mountain. It had been hard to tell anything when clinging for dear life on the back of a powerful beast. Again, he would have to trust Bagi's judgment. Ryo yawned. Bagi had taken the lead, showing him which path was best to take downhill. Ryo was glad for the guide. Normally, he would be able to find his own path, even if it was this steep. But with the exotic food, shift in climate, and bad night, it was a hard to walk, making a hike down a mountain an even greater chore. But he refused to ride Bagi again. He could handle himself.

The tree line thinned, taking half of the much needed shade. Ryo tried to blink the sun out of his eyes as it flashed at him. Its low position and bright feature meant Ryo had to shield his eyes to prevent blinding. He could swear the sun was laughing at him. His head roared up with a sudden head ache. The next moment, it got worse, and a biting pain gripped his shoulder.

Ryo couldn't see anything beyond the white glare of light he had been trying to defend himself from. He could feel himself being dragged upward at an awkward angle. Something snaked around his waist, and the bite from his shoulder relax, though it still hurt. Everything was swaying around Ryo. What was happening. He looked back to the ground… only to find it was about 40 feet below him! His mind cleared, and he took a double take. He could feel a furry back to his… he..

Though the mind fog, Ryo tried to piece everything together… he shifted to see what was holding him. Bagi was clinging tightly to a tree, and she was trying to place her claws better. There was several long gashes leading from her claws up to a point on the side of the tree. Ryo didn't envy the tree. It wasn't hard to guess now, though it still took Ryo a moment to figure. He… must have blacked out, and had fell right over the side of a ravine. Bagi had leaped to his rescue… again… She slowly started to descend the rough bark pole, careful not to squeeze Ryo in half with her tail.

Though they had to break through several branches, the two finally made it to the bottom of the ravine. The shock was finally leaving Ryo's head, and the marks on his body finally set in. There were several new scrapes along his person, what of his shirt's shoulder that had survived was now bleached red with blood. It took every part of Ryo not fall trembling to the ground and rock out of misery.

Ryo felt Bagi pull on the back of his shirt, and he heard a loud, define rip as she sliced it. Ryo flicked back to face her. "What are you doing?! This is the only shirt I have out here!" She met his gaze, then set back to her work, without any type of explanation. She pulled one side around and off of him, then started with the other. He felt the bloodied rags pull off of his wound, and his had shot up to stop it from moving. But Bagi was quicker, and she grabbed his hand before it could reach. The rest of the cloth came off. Ryo's gut wrenched as he heard the peeling noise as his bite mark was revealed. He looked at it.

Ryo was surprised that his shoulder looked like it was still in place, and instead of a huge semicircle of teeth marks, there was only two holes in the front, what felt like two in the back, and a skiff on the top of his shoulder. "Do you think I'll bleed out?" he asked Bagi, only partly kidding. Bagi had his stripped shirt in her hands. For the first time since she had danced for him, she was on two legs, though terribly unbalanced. She rocked a little, then gave up and braced one of her paws on Ryo's good shoulder. She concentrated on the bite she left, and put the bottom of the shirt on top of it. Ryo flinched, and Bagi tattered again. When she retable herself, she set to wrapping the clothes around the wound. 'Bagi is making a make shift bandage' Ryo thought, 'When did she learn this?' It was strange, since last time she set to licking it instead of wrapping it. It was only ironic that it was the same place.

When it was full around his shoulder, she backed off of him. Unable to stand like a human, she fell back into her animal stance, once again a pink mountain pet. Ryo knew it wouldn't hold how she slung it. So, he took the loose end, pulled the other from under the bandage, and tied them together with a lazy granny knot. It hurt to tie, but he knew he'd rather this than let his blood drain out. Ryo shuddered. He felt unnaturally cold, considering it was summer in south, and a little weak.

"Bagi, I don't know where we're going, but you might have to carry me there. I don't think I'm gonna make it like this." His voice sounded hollow, like a man confined to bed for a fatal illness. He swayed, his new weakness mixing all to well to the lack of the support Bagi had given and the tilted ground. He fell forward, and supported himself on one of Bagi's shoulders. Ryo couldn't tell if he was hungry or about to throw up. "Can we find a river or something? I feel real thirsty…" It was hard to speak, since his mouth was so dry.

Bagi hadn't moved her gaze from his face. She blinked, flicked her ear, then turned sideways to him. It was the closest invitation Ryo could expect. He let himself drape over her, becoming little more than a living, heavy coat on Bagi. Though Ryo already knew Bagi's strength, he still found it unusual, how when he got on her, she didn't strain a bit. Even a would table would squeak and protest some when someone climbs atop one. She took down in a slow walk, and Ryo slid forward a bit. She carried him towards the base of the mountain, only stopping to let him drink from a small creek that inhabited the bed of a mighty river.

It was a long day, and by the time Bagi had back-tracked the mountain she had run, and the sun had already set. Ryo had been slow to recover, especially with the cold that needled his body and the heat on his now burned back constantly fighting. But he was getting over himself. The blood lost from the bite-mark alone wouldn't have done this. He had probably caught some disease or sickness. Of all the luck. Ryo felt like getting angry. Ever since he left the facility, it was only one problem behind the last. But he couldn't. He didn't have the energy to be angry. Besides, he was comfortable where he was, even if his cushion never stopped shifting.

Ryo couldn't hold onto any thought for long. He tried to focus on one idea, but each on would escape, leaving Ryo without a clue what it was. He tried to focus on his future. Where could they go? Could they make it back to Japan? The thoughts were soon replaced with his history. His dad was a good cook. All his mom make tasted fake. Where was his bike? Oh… he had crashed it into an electric fence. Why wouldn't his ears stop ringing?

It was getting real annoying to Ryo. He'd never been like this before. Why couldn't he think properly anymore? He grabbed his wrap with his hand. He would probably be scared for life along this shoulder. The previous cut that was in it had been aggravated by the new puncture wounds, along with the jar of the fall. Would he want it? … Yes. Even if it wasn't pleasant, it was still a reminder of what he and Bagi had been through.

The tone in Ryo's ears was starting to bug him. It was non-stop, and he couldn't drown it out. Ringing ears weren't cured by sound. If Ryo could put his hand over his ears, he would. Not that it would help…

It was just now that Ryo realized that Bagi had stopped walking. Her whole body was stiff. Ryo pulled his head up and looked at the back of her head. Her fuzzy ears were straight up, with one turned off to the right. Her ears twitched and moved, then became still again.

The ringing was really agitating Ryo. He gritted his teeth softly. It seemed to have escalated since before.

Bagi crouched to her belly, then tilted, making Ryo fall off like the sack of bricks he was. He felt the slight press of wood as he fell into a indent under a tree. He was completely in daze. He must have fallen asleep, and still felt like he was in a dream. Nothing really hurt anymore, but Ryo still could feel the pain. It was strange.

Where was Bagi going? She'd just left him. It was fine. The cool ground and shade under the tree felt nice. Ryo felt that this would be the perfect place to sleep the night. Even the elevation seemed to make things comfortable…

With his body at rest, the insane ringing in his ears subsided. He almost didn't care that he could now hear gunfire. He just wanted to sleep. To fall to the warm cool that enveloped him. Nothing else really mattered now. Bagi would be fine on her own for the night.

It wasn't a moment latter when he was shook back awake by a rough hand. Ryo opened his eyes to the best of his ability. Did his dad have to wake him now? He had just got comfortable. Some weird, foreign voices cut into Ryo's skull. Then his battered shoulder screeched its message, making Ryo shake in agony. He moaned. Who ever had shook him wasn't very nice.

"What do you want," Ryo mumbled without his voice, "I was sleeping."

More foreign talking. A hand held out a picture to Ryo. Through the deep haze Ryo was in, he saw his parents with fourteen year old Ryo in between them. That was a strange time of life for him, and he had Temporary tattoos splattered across him. It was a time that Ryo would rather have forgotten.

More talking. Why wouldn't these people speak plain Japanese? Ryo stretched his leg a little, helping the stiff feeling that had infected it. His vision strengthened, and he could see people now. Three men and two women. 'Too much to harass a sleeping teen,' Ryo thought. What did they want?

The man with the picture backed off, and was replaced with a smaller man with more define features. He contemplated Ryo's face for a short time, then spoke, "Who… is you?" He said in the most garbled Japanese Ryo had ever heard. "Is Ryo." Ryo responded in a weak, mocking tone. He was never too weak to play games.

The man turned towards some unseen something beyond Ryo's sight, then shouted in a foreign language and waved at it. Ryo closed his eyes and tried dozing off again. What the guy wanted was probably nothing. Ryo's mind was slipping farther away. He felt oddly hungry. He could almost imagine his dads home fried rice. Nothing at-take out was worth…

Someone shook him gruffly again, making his thoughts roll back to the front of his head. He tenderly opened his eyes, and opening his mouth in a half yawn. He tried to focus his eyes, with little success. It took his nose to figure someone was holding something food to him, and it was only because it was lightly touching it rather than smell.

He stared at it, trying to figure if it was actually food. Whoever held it dropped it on his chest and left it there. Ryo lifted his head to see what it was. It was hard to move, but constant curiosity kept him trying. It was a wrapped something of a dull yellow color. It reminded him of a cruder version of the food that they served in the foreign restaurants he had seen before.

Finally, with effort, he picked it off of his chest, and took a bite. It was filled with roundish things that were a bit hard to chew through. It was after he swallowed his second bite before he tasted anything, and he was almost finished when the flavor struck him. It was hot. Very spicy. Ryo was up in a second, his mouth agape, trying to cool his now burning mouth. His stiff body moved without motivation. His hand went up to his face and pinched his jaw. What had he just eaten?

"Hyi" a mans voice came from somewhere lower on the mountain. Ryo looked at him, still panting heavily and sweat drops starting to form on his brow.

The man was flipping through a book, and when he spoke his sentence was incredibly drawn out. "Where… the… lion girl?"

Author's remorse.

I Just checked the date for the last update, and it has been over a year since I last updated…

Cheers…


End file.
